Sailing

The Optimist section is extremely active and is available for cadets up to the age of 13, and dependent on the cadet’s weight. It is also the focus area for the DYC’s National Development Program, which is aimed at assisting and introducing young Tanzanian sailors to the sport. The DYC has previously hosted the annual All Africa Optimist sailing regatta and also attends this event across the continent on a regular basis.

The success that has been achieved by these young sailors on an international platform is a source of great pride for the club and we look forward to continuing to provide a foundation for these young sailors.

Sail training takes place most afternoons and Sunday mornings is Race Day. The club has a few club boats for hire to enable new cadets to try the sport before considering purchasing a boat.

One of the most active sections in the club with approximately 80 boats registered, the section weekly race is held on a Friday late afternoon and is very well attended. The DYC has previously hosted the All Africa Laser Regatta where we have consistently punched well above our weight and achieved very respectable results.

The main annual event at the club is the Laser Open, which is normally held in September. In recent years this has been the DYC’s largest event attracting many international sailors. Racing normally takes place over three days with the winner being determined over a total of approximately eight races.

The Laser section also has an annual charity event which takes the form of a 24 hour relay race. A number of sailors form a team with the goal of completing as many laps of the short course as possible. Each team is supported by a “mother ship” which is normally one of the large yachts or catamarans. It is here where the competitors relax and socialize between sessions.

The funds raised during this event are donated to charities determined by the organizing committee

For any adrenalin junkies out there this is your section. The thrill of being on a Tiger reaching for a mark with one hull flying is an experience that is hard to describe. There are a broad range of Cats that make up this section but the fleet consists mostly of Hobie 16’s and Hobie Tigers, which allows for some great class racing. Weekly racing is on Saturday afternoons and is followed by prize giving at the OOD Box.

The Cat section also hosts Tanzacat, one of the best sailing events in Africa. This event is held over 9 days and consists of a series of Bay races at weekends, and the Zanzibar Raid during the week. The Raid involves sailing across to Zanzibar and enjoying a few relaxing days on the Spice Island. On alternate years this race becomes an international event hosting a large number of international sailors.

This section has previously sent a group of sailors to the All Africa Championships, which proved to be a great learning opportunity for our local sailors (if not a tad humbling). 

The yacht section hosts weekly bay races on a Saturday afternoon where 6 to 10 boats make a regular appearance. The small number of craft should not be interpreted as an indication of a less popular sub-section. Each yacht generally has a crew of around 5 and hence the interest in this activity is by no means limited.

The sub-section also has both day and overnight off-shore race series, which involve racing to different marks and islands along this beautiful section of the African coast. These races are very well supported with many of the bigger yachts also joining in. Some of these races also include an overnight stop at either the Tanga Yacht Club, Lazy Lagoon resort or Sinda Island. The overnight stops are great fun, providing sailors an opportunity to relax and socialize together after a hard days racing.

Although not a formal section, recreational sailing on the weekends is a massive part of being involved in the sailing section. Most weekends dozens of yachts head out to the various islands in the immediate vicinity where they will raft up (weather permitting) or drop anchor and enjoy the beautiful coastal life while sipping on a cold Kili and barbequing.

In addition to this, the yachts generally arrange some sort of overnight sail at least once a month to one of the islands. This is purely a social event and is great fun.